1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the production of articles of the type that comprise of composite planar or non-planar panels or covering elements, in particular console panels, instrument panels or vehicle interior trim panels, and it concerns a method for producing such a panel, as well as a panel obtained by this method.
2. Related Technology
The type of panels that the present invention relates to generally comprise a substrate forming a panel body, generally of a foamed plastics material or a molded thermoplastics material to which a surface skin or the like, having a substantially decorative function (of a synthetic material having the desired appearance), is attached.
The conventional method for producing such a panel consists in producing, by forming (by heating and suction for example) or by slush casting, an integral skin or cover and mounting it on a substrate or placing it with such a substrate into a mold for molding by foaming to produce the finished panel.
In various applications, in particular vehicle interiors, a visual appearance is sought which gives the impression of a traditional production method and an exposed hand-sewn seam.
The current method for producing such a panel having a predetermined aesthetic appearance consists, first of all, in producing a substrate (by molding, forming or the like) the surface of which substantially has the configuration of the exposed surface to be obtained and which corresponds thereto absent the thickness of the decorative skin to be attached. A plurality of skin parts or decorative covering covers is simultaneously provided by separate production. These parts are assembled by sewing to form the skin or cover. The reconstituted skin or cover is then placed onto the face in question of the panel body and attached thereto. It is necessary for the skin to stretch to a certain extent to obtain the desired appearance. This makes the method awkward to carry out and does not allow seams to be placed near openings, flaps or edges of the panel. The skin may be attached to the substrate, as mentioned previously, in various ways such as gluing, welding or attachment by a layer of foaming material (which makes the surface of the panel less rigid and softer to touch).
The applicant's document U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0168151 A1, which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a method in which a plurality of preformed pieces of skin, intended to form the basis of a given decorative skin, are produced (by forming or molding). These pieces are then assembled to form the decorative skin, the front faces of the seams are sealed and the skin is then mounted on a substrate forming the panel body by one of the joining methods described hereinbefore. FIG. 1 of the accompanying drawings is a partial and schematic view of a panel section obtained by this method, the section being in the region of an assembly seam.
By this improved method, it is possible to produce panels having exposed seams or decorative, simulated stitching and to produce panels without such stitching using the same facilities and the same method. Generally, functional stitching secures two skin portions together and is reinforced with seam tape or a similar material. Simulated stitching may be positioned on opposite sides of the juncture. The shape, number and arrangement of seam lines may be changed without requiring major modifications to the tools (for example, when producing a new model). Finally, since no stretching of the skin is required, it is possible to optionally position the seam lines relatively close to the openings, edges, flaps or similar discontinuities.
However, this method still requires actual seaming operations (rarely automated), which are tiresome, expensive, cannot guarantee extensive standardization and generate a relatively large amount of waste.